Chris Farley's Original Shrek Voice Has Leaked

Most people probably don't realize that when Chris Farley died from a drug overdose in 1997, he had already voiced the majority of the dialogue for the title character in Shrek, which came out in 2001. After his tragic passing, DreamWorks reportedly considered simply hiring an imitation actor to finish the job, but then decided to re-record with Mike Myers instead.

Now, for the first time, you can hear Farley's version, paired with Eddie Murphy as Donkey, in a 1997 story reel video posted by film producer John Garbett. Farley's version is certainly very different from the Scottish lilt Myers gave the hero. It's a more gruff tone, and one that, in retrospect, can't help but sound sad—like the voice of someone who's very alone in the world.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

For comparison, here's a scene from the completed film:

The documentaryI Am Chris Farley is currently in theaters and will premiere on Spike TV on August 10.